New Family
by BeautyQueen18KF
Summary: What happens when Kevin's new fiance brings home a friend to meet the family and friends? And what about when one friend doesn't take so kindly to the new girl? This is truly much better than it sounds. KL/DD, JL/SM, NL/OC. Rated T just to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

_**So this is my first story, and I hope you all like it. I'm brand new to writing fanfiction, so let me know what you think, please. **_

_**I'm pretty much winging this story. I have a basic goal to reach by the end of the story, and I don't know how far from now that will be, but otherwise, I'm making it up as I go along. It's more fun for me, and I hope it's good for you, too!**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own anything that you recognize. Technically, I don't own the things you don't recognize, either, because nothing's patented, but that doesn't make much of a difference. Bottom line is: IT'S NOT MINE! That pretty much covers it.**_

_**So here we go…**_

It would have been so easy for my life to have turned out so differently. Had Mrs. Barrett not gotten pregnant, had Danielle not been hired, had I not taken her up on her offer, my entire life would have been so radically different from the way it is. But that's a good thing. My life is all I could have asked form and I owe it all to Danielle.

It was only seven in the morning, but I could already tell that it wasn't going to be a good day. I nearly missed the bus to school, I dropped my computer on the ground getting on the bus and nearly broke it, I forgot my dance shoes for play rehearsal this afternoon, and I had a pounding headache because I hadn't eaten breakfast or had anything to drink in my mad rush to catch the bus. On top of it all, I had to give up my last-period free, which I usually used to do get homework done before I was free to go where I pleased, to attend a mandatory meeting with my guidance counselor, who wasn't even my real guidance counselor, just a substitute while my actual counselor, Ms. Barrett, was on maternity leave, to plan out my courses for next year.

By the time I got to the counseling offices, I was so close to a breakdown, it wasn't even funny. Nevertheless, I walked into the office trying to keep a cool head. I young woman greeted me. She had a dark complexion, hair to match, and a rather large nose, but she was pretty enough, I thought. She greeted me cheerily, almost too much so for so early in the morning.

"Hi! I'm Miss Deleasa. You must be Kathryn. It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"Hi," I replied, slightly less enthusiastically. It was early, after all. "It's nice to meet you, too."

"Sit down, sit down, and we'll get straight to business," said Miss Deleasa kindly, and I did as she said, setting by bag and laptop down on the vacant seat next to me. She dove right into course schedules and elective choices, and for the next hour, we sat and mapped out my upcoming senior year, as well as my college choices, the applications for which I needed to start considering. Despite my qualms about the meeting, however, the hour seemed to fly by. I'd only known Miss Deleasa for an hour, but I found her easy to talk to, and it seemed like she really understood what I said. Perhaps it was the closeness of our ages that made it so comfortable.

As our meeting came to a close with the ringing of the dismissal bell, Miss Deleasa stood up "It was nice to meet you, Kathryn, and I hope that you will come talk to me if you have any problems about anything."

"Thanks, Miss Deleasa," I said.

"I really mean it," she said. "I was a teenager a very short while ago, and I can give advice on more than college." She said this last statement with a laugh, meaning, I knew, boy issues. I knew that I might just take her up on the offer if I needed to. Suddenly, my day didn't seem so bad.

I did, in fact, take Miss Deleasa up on her offer, though, as much as I hate to admit it, not about boys. I would just go talk to her sometimes, and I found that we were becoming friends rather than teacher and student. I found that there was only a five year difference between us. I was seventeen and she was twenty-two, graduated from school early due to skipped grades and homeschooling. We were closer in age than I was to my own sister, who was just turning nine.

We would tell each other about our families and our friends. She was an only child, still lived with her parents, though she was newly engaged, and led a normal life. If she had any dark secrets of her past, she hid them very well, which made me doubt there were any. There was one day when I was in her office, however, that changed my life.

It was after school and I had gone to the college counseling offices to talk to Danielle, as I called Miss Deleasa when school wasn't in session. She had become like a sister to me. We had been chatting for only a few minutes when we heard a knock on her half-open door. I turned to see a young man, about Danielle's age, rapping his knuckles on the door and peeking in to see if Danielle was busy. Danielle was immediately on her feet.

"Kevin!" she squealed rather innocently, scurrying over to him and throwing her arms around his neck, pecking his lips with hers. 'I certainly hope this is the fiancé she talks about so much,' I thought, inwardly amused. Danielle let go of Kevin and pulled him completely into the room, turning him towards me. "Kathryn, this is Kevin, my fiancé."

My jaw dropped. I couldn't believe I hadn't made the connection. Danielle Deleasa. Have you got it yet? Danielle's infamous Kevin was, in fact, Kevin Lucas, of JONAS.

I am proud to say that I regained my composure almost immediately. I shook Kevin's hand and said "Hi, nice to meet you. I'm Kathryn. I've heard a lot about you from Danielle."

"Nice to meet you, too," said Kevin politely, "and I've heard a lot about you as well."

"Oh, Kathryn, I have a brilliant idea. It's Friday, so why don't you come home with me and have dinner with my family? Kevin's home so it's kind of a special occasion. We'd love to have you, if you can come."

I hesitated. Previously, I had only ever hung out with Danielle at school. Was it crossing a line to go to her house? She seemed to read my mind, though. "It's not a big deal. I don't give you grades, so it's not like I can favor you, and it's not like I'm some pedophile who's going to try to make a move on you. Claire's sister is a teacher here, too, and Claire's friends hang out with her." Claire was a senior whose sister was, in fact, a teacher here. After hearing Danielle's rationalizations, I quickly agreed.

"Perfect!" said Danielle. I'll bring you home so you can change and all that, because I doubt you want to stay in your uniform all night. Then we'll head over to the house. Sound good?"

"Sure," I said. It was only then that Kevin spoke again.

"I'll be back then, babe," he said to Danielle."I'll go tell Mom to expect another person. She'll be thrilled. You know how she loves people." Danielle smiled and nodded, and Kevin left the office, pulling out his Blackberry and he went. Danielle turned back to me and saw that I had a shocked look on my face once again.

"Wait," I said, "_Kevin's_ house?"

"Yup," said Danielle. His parents are having a "Welcome Home" get-together, even though they're the ones who just got home."

"And it'll be us, and Kevin, and…"

"…and my parents, his parents, and his brothers."

"Okay then," I said, resolved to the fact that I was about to meet JONAS, or the remaining two.

_**I actually made it to the second chapter! Usually I don't have that much of an attention span. I'm technically putting off reading **__**Great Expectations**__** for school to write this, so I hope it's good!**_

I didn't bother to call home and ask if I could go to dinner with Danielle. I knew that no one would answer. My parents were away for the weekend, on respective business trips, and they had deemed me old enough to stay home alone for a few days.

Danielle and I got to my house fairly quickly. I ran inside with my bags, dropping them on the kitchen table as I ran upstairs to change. I quickly peeled off my uniform and pulled out a pair of dark-wash jeans and a light grey sweater. It was simple, but comfortable and one of my more flattering outfits. I pushed a pair of medium-sized hoops into my ears and wrapped a darker grey and light purple square scarf around my neck. I slipped my feet into a pair of black Tory Burch flats, which were a win-win in that they were both easy to match and comfortable. I grabbed my purse, already filled with my wallet, keys, iPod, and phone, and ran back outside to where Danielle waited.

The radio was playing in the car, but otherwise, we were pretty much silent. I broke the silence soon enough though. "I'm a little nervous," I confessed.

"About meeting the Brothers?" Danielle asked.

"Pretty much," I said. "I don't think I'll be star struck or anything, but I don't want to embarrass myself."

"Seriously, don't worry," laughed Danielle. "I'm not even just saying that to make you feel better. Those boys are such jokesters; it's hard to make a fool of yourself."

I felt slightly mollified by her statements, but I was still a little apprehensive. However, I had to discard those feelings after only minutes, as we pulled into a long driveway from the main road. I knew that we were almost to the house.

The driveway was very long, making it seem extremely regal, and the house that it led to was even more so. It was absolutely mammoth. Big and made of dark brick, it stood four floors high and almost twice as wide. It was made in colonial fashion, but I felt as though colonial had smaller connotations.

I didn't have long to gawk, however, as Danielle pulled into what must have been the garage, though it was detached and could have held ten cars. She pulled me out of the car and up the pathway to the front door of the house. Stepping inside, she called out, "Hey! I'm home!" and advanced further into the building, me trailing slightly behind her.

She led me through a foyer into a hallway that led to the back of the house. We went up a staircase almost immediately. We arrived in a sort of living room, where there were eight people sitting and chatting, all of whom stopped talking as we came into the room, getting up to greet us.

The first people I was introduced to were Danielle's parents, Angela and Matt, who hugged Danielle and shook my hand. They were very sweet, but soon faded into the background. They didn't say much. Next came Denise and Kevin Lucas, who were much more enthusiastic. Denise was especially friendly, hugging me and asking me all about my life and my family. Kevin greeted me once again and stepped aside to introduce me to his brothers.

I instantly loved Frankie. He was so frank and inadvertently funny. The first thing he said to me was "Hi. I'm Frankie. Do you play an instrument? I play the drums. It's fun. Want to hear me play?"

I laughed, but he was moved out of the way by his older brother, but not before I could say, "Yeah, definitely!" I absolutely loved the kid.

Joe came next. He introduced himself politely, and seemed innocently curious about me. I, like with his two brothers, took an immediate liking to him. He was just so sweet. Last of all the people in the room, though, was Nick. He shook my hand and said very quietly and oh-so-politely, "Hey, I'm Nick. It's nice to meet you."

"You as well," I returned. I noticed that he held onto my hand longer than his brothers had, but, upon realizing this, perhaps, let go quickly. He quickly retreated back to his previous place on the sofa, and the rest of my new acquaintances followed suit.

It was almost absurdly easy to fit in with the Lucases and the Deleasas. They were all so friendly and welcoming to me. We ate dinner soon after our arrival, and retreated back to the living room to chat some more. I was like the new toy; they all wanted to know all about me, my family, school, and my life in general. I didn't mind answering their questions for the most part, but it was a little awkward talking about myself so much. I didn't usually do that.

It was around nine when the Deleasas left, or at least the parents. It seemed as though it was routine for Danielle to stay later than her parents. Denise and Kevin, who had, in fact, insisted I call them Denise and Kevin, also disappeared to settle into bed, leaving us, the younger ones, to our own devices. Danielle and Kevin were talking quietly, and I took the cue from the other two boys not to disturb them. So, I was left to talk to Joe and Nick.

Joe soon had us cracking up. He was simply hilarious. Nick, too, was funny, but his comments were quieter and more sarcastic than Joe's outright, sometimes physical comedy. Soon enough, it was after eleven. Danielle looked up from Kevin over to me and said, "Whoa, Kathryn, I'm sorry. It's so late! Do you mind staying here for the night? It's really late to be driving and it's raining."

"Nah, I don't mind if you don't," I said.

"Alright, then," said Danielle. "Come with me and I'll get you set up in one of the guest rooms." She led me out of the room and up another flight of stairs into a bedroom that was decorated with pinks and purples, obviously a creation of Denise or Danielle, rather than the boys. I found it interesting how comfortable Danielle was in the Jonas home. It was as if she had truly become a part of their family.

Danielle leant me a pair of her pajamas, a spare toothbrush, and some other necessities, and then I settled into bed in the guest room. Danielle's room was right down the hall, and my room was right next to Nick's. It was surprisingly easy to fall asleep that night, despite the new surroundings.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Wow, I'm on a roll. This is technically Chapter Three for me, because chapters one and two got published together. But I'm also writing this the same day as Chapter Two, so I don't have anything new to say, except I'm eating these really good sugar cookies that my sister made. I'm going to be HUGE if I don't stop eating soon.**_

As the weeks went on, I found myself spending more and more time at the Lucas house. Even when Danielle wasn't home, I would go over there after school and on weekends and hang out with Joe and Nick. Even though both boys were older than I was, we were very close. It was hard for me to adjust, at first, to having so many people around me all the time. I was used to the quiet that having parents who were always gone gave me. But soon enough, I found myself thriving on the sense of family that the Jonas household gave me.

Despite the three-year difference in our ages, I found myself growing very close to Joe. He was like the older brother I never had. He was sweet and sensitive at the right moments, but was also a huge laugh the majority of the time.

Nick, however, remained something of a mystery to me. Of course he was extremely friendly and very funny, but he was a lot quieter than his brothers, and a lot harder to read. I was fascinated by him, though I didn't really acknowledge that fact right away. I would find myself drifting off into thought during the school day or at night, just wondering what the look on his face could have meant.

There was something a little strange, however, about my relationship with the boys. My friends had no idea that I knew them. They didn't know Danielle was a future Lucas, and they certainly didn't know that I was spending the majority of my free time with one of the most popular bands in the country. I made sure I still spent time with the girls from school, of course, so they never had a reason to suspect me. And it wasn't as if I was purposely hiding my new friends, it just never came up, and I wasn't about to start shouting to the world that I was friends with rock stars. I knew that the boys would appreciate the discretion.

This secret, of sorts, however, came out into the open soon enough, as does every secret. I had made plans with Joy, Brigid, and Raquel to go see the movie Valentine's Day over February Vacation. To put it simple, the girls were eager to see Taylor Lautner in another movie, and the movie trailer reminded me of _Love, Actually _so I didn't have a problem tagging along. The problem was, the day after I had agreed to go with the girls, Joe and Nick asked me to hang out with them. I told them I had plans, but they insisted that they would come with me and the girls to see the movie. "It'll be a blast!" Joe had said. I hadn't even told them which movie, and they didn't ask.

I arrived at the theatre first and alone, having been dropped off by my sister, who needed my car, so I bought my ticket and waited around for the rest of the group. Raquel, Joy, and Brigid all arrived in their respective cars, and made to head into the theatre. I, however, held them back. "There are more people coming," I told them. They were confused, and tried to get me to tell them who was coming, but I just told them to wait and see.

It was maybe five minutes later when the two boys pulled up in Nick's Mustang. Upon seeing the car, Brigid leaned over to me.

"Oh, my God," she said. "It's so weird, but that car looks exactly like Nick Lucas's." I didn't have time to respond before Brigid looked up to see 2/3 of JONAS looking down at her. Her mouth dropped open, and then she turned to stare at me, eyes wide. I gave her an apologetic look, knowing that she was going to be a little upset I never told her. She was a huge JONAS fan.

Joy, however, just laughed at the situation. She had always thought that Bridge and I were crazy to like JONAS. Raquel, too, was unaffected, as her heart belonged to Taylor Lautner. She could have cared less about JONAS.

Bridge didn't talk to me for the rest of the movie. I sat between Joe and Joy, Nick on Joe's other side, Raquel on Joy's, and Brigid on the end next to Raquel. It wasn't as awkward during the movie as it was when we got out of the theatre. Joy and Raquel headed straight to their cars after saying goodbye to the boys, Bridge, and me, leaving the four of us in an awkward little square.

"Look, Bridge," I said. Brigid looked over at me. "I know you're mad because I didn't tell you…you know…but I was trying to be discreet, and it never interfered with my hanging out with you guys, so I just left it. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but it's really not a big deal."

Brigid hesitated for a moment, and then spoke. "Yeah, I know that, I guess…" She smirked. "But now I was details!" I grinned.

"I'll call you later, then? Fill you in?" I asked. She grinned back.

"I'll be waiting! Don't you dare forget!" she said teasingly. I knew she wasn't mad at me anymore.

I did remember to call Brigid later, and everything was back to normal between us. "Okay, so you want the details?" I had said as soon as she picked up her cell phone.

"Duh!"

"Well, you know Miss Deleasa, right?" I asked.

"Uh huh," said Bridge.

"Well, she's engaged to Kevin Lucas," I said this quickly, like ripping off a band-aid. Brigid screamed.

"Are you kidding me?" she asked incredulously.

"No, I'm not. And since me and Danielle have gotten really close, she invited me to hang out with her and her family one Friday a few months ago, and I said yes, and the boys were there. And since she and Kevin are always so cozy and adorable, I got to hanging with Joe and Nick a lot, and we've gotten really close."

Bridge was silent for a moment before she said, point blank, "Which one are you falling for?"

"What?!" I yelled. "Neither!"

"Uh huh, sure," said Bridge.

"No, I'm serious. They've become like my brothers!"

"Are you kidding me? How can they be like your brothers? You've known them only a few weeks!" said Brigid skeptically.

"I don't know, we just kind of clicked."

Brigid laughed. "Okay then, good for you, I guess." She paused. "Crap, I've got to go, my brother is screaming at me." Brigid's brother was really cute, but he was eight and had some major temper issues.

"Okay, I'll talk to you later then," I said, hanging up the phone. I put my cell on my nightstand and settled into bed with my latest novel, London by Edward Rutherfurd before I went to bed. I was glad that Brigid wasn't mad at me, but a part of me felt nervous about her knowing. She got attached to things easily, and I wasn't sure that habit was going to be beneficial for the boys…

_**I feel like this chapter was a little hurried, but I wanted to get this facet out there so I could really move on with the story. And it seems to me like the whole make-up scene with Kathryn and Brigid seems a little "Disney" but to be honest, Brigid is based off of a friend of mine, and Kathryn (which, if you aren't familiar with the name, is pronounced the same as Katherine) is based off of me. The two of us fight and make up the exact same way, so it's actually more realistic than it seems.**_

_**Also, this is technically a JONAS fic, even though it overlaps with the Jonas Brothers in real life, so I'd like to let you all know that I have NOT forgotten Stella and Macy. They are coming back in the next chapter! And I know that I published this bit the same day as my first bit, but I wrote the first bit a few days ago before fanfiction was letting me post stuff, so expect the chapters to come a little slower. I'm still in school, and I have a TON of work to do… =(. **_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Writing this in school, so I hope it's worth it. I think I said something similar in another chapter, but oh well. Geometry is boring anyway. This chapter has Stella and Macy in it, so I hope you like those additions!**_

_**Also, a fun fact: Horace Mann is a real, ultra-exclusive private school in New York City. I'm assuming since the Jonas Brothers are from Northern Jersey, the producers decided to base Horace Mantis off of Horace Mann. **_

After that day, Brigid certainly wasn't mad at, me but I found that she grew even more attached to me, always asking about the boys. She was obsessed with Nick and Joe, and kept hinting that she wanted to meet them again. I studiously ignored her comments, which I supposed she thought were subtle, even if I saw through them. Though I would feel bad afterwards, I found myself avoiding Brigid more and more, just to escape the interrogations about the boy's latest jokes and comments. Brigid never noticed that I was avoiding her, or at least she never said anything.

It was a few weeks until it became normal for Brigid and me not to talk. At first it was strange, and required some adjustments, but after a while it just became the new routine. As I spent less time with Brigid, though, I spent even more time with the boys.

It was a Saturday, around noon, and I was at the Lucas house when the phone rang. Joe got up and went into the next room to pick it up, and Nick and I continued our conversation about my college choices while Joe was gone. I had applied to Duke, Georgetown, Villanova, Vanderbilt, Columbia, University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern, and Holy Cross, and had gotten into all but University of Pennsylvania. I was at a loss as to which college I would choose, and the deadline was fast approaching. Nick, being the more studious and serious of the brothers, was going through the list with me, helping to weigh pros and cons.

We were absorbed in our lists for only a few more minutes when Joe came back into the room, grinning ear to ear.

"Dude, what are you so happy about?" asked Nick, skeptically.

"_Dude_," said Joe, mocking Nick, "Guess who's in town and on their way over here right now."

"Who?" asked Nick, not really caring.

"Macy and Stella," said Joe shortly, grinning even more.

"No way!" exclaimed Nick with much more interest. I was utterly confused. Who were Macy and Stella?

"Way!" said Joe in response.

"Did you call Kevin?" asked Nick.

"Yeah, he's on his way with Danielle," said Joe.

"Perfect," Nick said.

"Wait," I interrupted. "Who are Macy and Stella?" The boys looked at me for a second, and then Nick spoke up.

"Oh, of course you don't know who Macy and Stella are," he laughed, as if at himself. "Macy and Stella are really close friends from when we were in high school. We went to Horace Mantis, in the city, you know. Stella has been our friend since we were really young, and Macy used to be our number one fan, no joke."

"Yeah," interrupted Joe. "Macy went off to school in California, and Stella went to design school up in New England, and neither of them comes home much, but I guess they planned a surprise for us. We haven't seen them since last summer."

"Joe's been miserable without Stella. He's completely in love with her," said Nick matter-of-factly. Joe glared at him.

"I am not in love with Stella!"

"Sure you're not, bro," said Nick sarcastically. He rolled his eyes at me. I giggled. "So did they say when they were getting here?" Nick asked.

"Yeah, they should be here any minute," replied Joe, glancing out the window. Sure enough, we saw a car pulling up the large drive. It came to a stop right in front of the door and two women got out, one blonde and one brunette. The boys made for the stairs, and I followed, ready to meet the new girls.

Joe pulled the door open just as the blonde was reaching over to ring the doorbell. Seeing Joe, she squealed and threw her arms around his neck while the brunette slipped past her into the house, giving Nick a one-armed hug, for she was carrying a suitcase, and a kissed him on the cheek. My stomach did an involuntary flip as she did, but I didn't know why. Nick, always the gentleman, took the suitcase from the girl, setting it down to the side, so she could move further into the house. The girls switched places, the blonde giving Nick a hug and the brunette turning her attention to Joe.

Once everyone had come back inside, and the suitcases the girls were carrying had been taken from them by the boys, the two girls turned, almost simultaneously, to me. "Joe!" exclaimed the blonde, "You haven't introduced us! How rude! Really, you're on a different planet sometimes. Hi, I'm Stella. Who're you?" She said this all very fast, but not unkindly.

"I'm Kathryn. It's nice to meet you," I said slightly less manically. "So you must be Macy?" I asked of the brunette.

"Yup, I'm Macy," said the brunette cheerily.

"Come upstairs, guys," said Nick politely, leading the way up the main staircase at the end of the hall. We all followed suit, settling into the living room where I had first been introduced to the Lucases.

Kevin and Danielle arrived only a few minutes after Stella and Macy, and were just as excited to see them as Nick and Joe had been. Even though Kevin was quite a bit older than the two girls, it seemed that he had been just as close to them as his brothers, and Danielle had accepted them almost as sister, similar to how she treated me.

I was at the house for nearly four more hours, listening to the girls fill Nick and Joe in on what had been going on in their lives since they last saw each other. It seemed to me that the four talked sometimes, but really only got to catch up every few months. I understood that both Stella and Macy were nineteen, one year younger than Joe and two older than Nick. Macy was very sports-oriented, and played college volleyball, basketball, and softball at UCLA, and Stella was a fashion design major at Parsons. She, apparently, used to design the boys' clothes for their tours when they were in high school, but left them to go to college, passing the job onto another woman.

Nick was so right about Joe and Stella. If you didn't know them, you would have thought they were together. Even the way Stella was always scolding Joe made them seem like an old married couple. What Nick didn't seem to realize, however, was that he and Macy acted similarly, without the fighting. I could tell that Macy was completely infatuated with Nick, but I couldn't tell if he returned the feelings. He was just too hard to read.

Eventually, it got too late to stay up any longer, and we all went to bed, me staying in the purple and pink guest room that had become like a second bedroom to me since I met the Lucas family. It was after midnight when we went to bed, but a nagging feeling kept me up even later. I kept dwelling on the looks that I had seen Macy giving Nick all night. At first it was a mystery to me why this interaction made me upset, but, after almost an hour of pondering it, a thought occurred to me. Could I be falling for Nick Lucas? I mean, he was certainly handsome, and had that strong-and-silent thing going, and he was really smart, and sweet, and he was serious enough to be responsible, but funny enough not to be boring. And he was just so unbelievably nice to me, and always had been. And, damn, he was just so good-looking…

I fell asleep that night very confused.

_**So there you are, Chapter Three. They're not very specific in the show about how old everyone is, so I made up my own ages. Also, I've made it so Nick skipped a grade, because in reality he's just so far behind the other two, and I needed him out of high school for the college-help thing and to make it more realistic for Macy to like him, and to make him more attractive to Kathryn, cause for a senior, at least where I live, college guys are hot. =)**_

_**And I know Danielle hasn't really been in the last few chapters, but I swear, she's coming back. There is a wedding to plan, after all!**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Sorry this took longer than usual, but I had school and was at the All Time Low concert at Hammerstein last night, AND I'm planning a Holiday Party for my friends. Anyone else go to the concert? It was flipping awesome! **_

_**What happens in this chapter is really kind of childish, but I want it to be that way. I want to bring a youth to everyone, even if they are all realistically too old for what happens. I want to show that, despite some rivalry (cough cough), they have a strong enough bond that they can just let loose and have fun with each other regardless of being different ages and maturity levels (again, cough cough)**_

_**Also, just a fun fact, there's a girl who goes to my school, a senior, who literally looks exactly like Nicole Andersen, aka, Macy on JONAS. It's really scary. I see her around school, and sometimes I'll do a double-take and be like "WHAT?" I wonder if she has a curly-haired boyfriend, lol.**_

After that night, I found myself becoming more aware of Nick. I would have to force myself to tear my eyes away from him when he wasn't looking, and I would have to consciously take deep breaths whenever he walked into a room. I felt mad at myself because of it, because these feelings made me feel like a 13-year-old with her first real crush. I wished I could handle myself better.

At times, it felt like Nick was always watching me, almost checking me out, and some of the comments he began to make made it feel as though he were flirting with me. And other days, he would be the big brother that Joe was, treating me like a young girl.

It didn't help, of course, that Macy and Stella hadn't left yet, and Macy was pretty much all over Nick. I was becoming more and more confident that he did not return her feelings, but I wasn't completely sure.

Though I found myself experiencing antagonistic feelings towards Macy, I found myself growing closer to Stella. She was so sweet, and we had a lot of the same interests, tending to avoid physical activity, unless a mall was involved. She and Danielle truly became my sisters, in a way.

There was one day when Macy had gone into New York City to a college sports conference to represent UCLA, and the boys had had a press event to go to, so Stella, Danielle, and I were left alone. We talked all day, and I found myself confessing my confused feelings for Nick to them, obviously omitting my enmity towards Macy, as she was a friend of both Stella and Danielle. Both girls were incredibly sympathetic, but unfortunately, they could not read Nick any better than I, so were not much help. I went back to my state of confusion.

We were all hanging out the living room of the Lucas house that had become our habitual hangout. It was getting late, and Denise and Kevin Sr. had already gone to bed, but it was a Friday, so we could stay up late, and my parents were gone again, so I didn't have to be home. Danielle and Kevin were cuddling on the loveseat, and Stella and I were sitting on the couch, chatting Joe's arm dangerously close to Stella's shoulder while he talked with Nick, who was sitting in the armchair opposite us. Macy was sitting on the floor between Joe and Nick, legs stretched out. The TV was on in the background, but no one was really paying any attention.

Suddenly, Joe sat up straight, startling us. "I have an idea," he announced.

"Oh no," said Nick. "This can't be good." We laughed while Joe glared at his brother.

"I know what we can do, because, come on, guys, this is getting pretty boring," said Joe. You could tell from his tone that he was really proud of himself.

We did, in fact, agree that just sitting was getting pretty boring, but we stayed silent to let Joe continue. He paused for a few seconds, as if to build suspense, before saying proudly, "Let's play Truth or Dare."

We were silent for a moment before Kevin said, "Joe, I don't know…" but Macy cut him off.

"Yeah, let's play. Come on, it'll be fun." Stella and I agreed with her, and Danielle took our side. Nick just shrugged. Kevin was outnumbered, so Joe and Nick pushed the coffee table out of the way and we sat in a circle, the four girls on one side and the boys on the other, Kevin next to Danielle and Joe next to Stella. I looked up and found myself directly across from Nick. I suppressed a gulp.

"Well, Joe" began Stella, "this was your idea, so you start."

"Okay," said Joe, as if he were challenging Stella. "Kevin, truth or dare?"

"Truth," said Kevin confidently.

"When did you first consider marrying Danielle?" Joe said this as if he were asking Kevin to divulge the contents of Area 51.

"On our first date," said Kevin simply and without embarrassment. Danielle kissed him sweetly, but Stella scoffed.

"Is that really the best you can do, Joe?" she taunted. The chemistry between the two was so obvious, and yet they were so blind.

"Whatever, Stella. Kevin, just go," said Joe, trying and failing to save face.

"Danielle, truth or dare?" asked Kevin of his fiancée.

"Hmmm…dare," said Danielle after only a moment's hesitation.

"Kiss me," said Kevin, and Danielle did.

"Ugh, this is nauseating," said Joe, making a face at his brother. "Get a room!" Kevin rolled his eyes, but turned back to the game.

"Macy, truth or dare?" asked Danielle.

"Truth," said Macy.

"Tell us about the last guy you kissed," instructed Danielle. Macy blushed.

"Well, I was at a party the first week on campus, and I got a little too into the fun, and ended up drunk. There was this guy, and I thought he was cute, so I just kissed him, but then I walked away. I never saw him again. I'm surprised I even remember it happening." Macy looked embarrassed, but Joe seemed impressed, which earned him a slap on the arm from Stella.

"Wow," said Danielle.

"Yeah," said Kevin. Nick didn't say anything. Did this mean something?

"So anyway," said Macy quickly, "Stella, truth or dare?" Stella hesitated for a long time before speaking up.

"Dare," she said slowly, as if still deciding. Macy broke into a huge grin.

"Stella," she began confidently, as if she had already planned the question, "why is it that you haven't had a boyfriend since Van Dyke in Junior Year? I mean, that's a long time to go without any kind of boy interaction." The last sentence, Macy said pointedly, obviously implying that Stella should answer a certain way. Stella stayed silent for even longer this time, biting her lip.

Suddenly, she took a deep breath and said loudly, "Okay, fine! You all win. I've been pining! I miss Joe. It's Joe. It's always been Joe! Just stop bugging me already!" She looked slightly manic as she said this, but the entire group, except Joe broke out into smiles. Joe, however, looked stunned.

"Wait, you like me?" he asked Stella dumbly.

"_Yes_, you idiot, I like you! I'm freaking in love with you!" Stella nearly screamed, still impassioned from her previous declaration. Joe didn't reply. Instead, he moved toward Stella swiftly and crushed his lips against hers, nearly knocking her to the ground. She threw her arms around his neck, pulling herself closer to him. He responded enthusiastically, kissing her even more fiercely and wrapping his arms around her waist.

The rest of us tried to let the two of them have their moment, but it began to get awkward, so I discreetly pulled at Stella's shoulder, meeting resistance as she tried to cling to Joe. Eventually, though, they let go of each other and turned back to the game. Stella took a few deep breaths, and upon realizing it was her turn, focused her full attention on the game and her next victim, who, to my dismay, was me.

"Kathryn, truth or dare?" asked Stella of me.

"Dare, I guess," I said, and waited for my instructions. A smirk crossed Stella's face, and I was suddenly nervous.

"I'm going to tell you to kiss someone, and it has to be on the mouth for more than five seconds," said Stella mischievously. My eyes grew wide, for I knew what she was about to say. "Kiss Nick." She only spoke two words, but those two words were, in my mind, everything. I looked over at Nick nervously and saw that Joe was nudging him in the ribs. Nick looked menacingly at Joe, as if daring him to do it again. Then, Nick looked at me, gauging my reaction, but I saw something in his eyes that made me feel like he wasn't going to mind kissing me.

I looked over at Macy and saw that she looked uncomfortable and upset, but Nick was still looking at me, that strange look in his eyes. I scooted into the middle of the circle, towards Nick, and he moved slightly towards me, too. I leant in, him mirroring my actions. Everyone else waited in silence; Stella and Danielle looked hopeful, Macy murderous, and Joe and Kevin giddy.

My lips met Nick's, hesitantly at first, but the moment our lips touched, I felt a spark that sent shivers down my body, and I pressed my mouth more firmly against Nick's. I was stunned and pleased to find that he did the same. After what seemed like only a part of a second, Stella was tapping my shoulder.

"Five seconds are up," she said simply. I quickly retreated from the center of the circle, my head spinning. I scrambled to find the words to keep the game going.

"Oh, um, Joe, truth or dare?" I asked hurriedly. He chose truth. "How long have you liked Stella?" I asked.

"Sixth grade," he said. "That was when I realized that girls don't have cooties." We laughed, and the game continued. My mind drifted, however, as the rest of the group laughed and talked. I kept replaying the kiss in my head, the sparks, the shivers, and the look in Nick's eyes, which I now identified as lust. My eyes grew wider. Lust. Was it possible that Nick truly did like me? I looked up and found him watching me. He jerked his head towards the door and I nodded.

"Hey, guys, I'm going to run to the bathroom," said Nick. Everyone nodded absent-mindedly. No one was playing the game any longer, but has dissolved into chatting and teasing. Nick left the room quickly, and I waited only a minute or so before speaking.

"I'm going to go put on something more comfortable." It was late after all. I left the room to find Nick just outside the living room door. As soon as I had completely left the room, Nick pulled me down the hall to his room, shutting the door behind us and turning to me.

"So," he said.

"So," I said.

"That kiss was…"

"Yeah, it was."

"Hey Kathryn?"

"Yes?"

"I liked it." He said it so simply that it caught me off-guard. He was looking at me steadily, the look of lust back in his eyes.

"Oh, well, I liked it, too." The words were barely out of my mouth before his lips were once again on mine. He pressed roughly against my mouth, pulling my body flush against him. His tongue traced my lips, begging for entrance, which I granted willingly. Our tongues tangled, exploring each other's mouths. His hands drifted from my waist down to my butt and then up further towards my chest. He grazed the underside of my breasts and I ran my hands up his chest and moaned. He walked me backwards towards his bed, pushing me down and climbing on top of me. I was pushing his shirt up his chest, and he was gripping my waist so tightly, kissing me with so much force, my head began to spin.

Eventually, I needed oxygen and broke away from Nick, but his lips moved down my cheek and jaw to my neck, where he sucked and kissed and bit, leaving marks and causing me to sigh and moan. He was getting dangerously close to my breast when a loud bang startled us. Raucous laughter filled the room. Joe was standing in the doorway. Nick jumped off of me, and I scrambled off of the bed.

"Oh, don't let me interrupt," said Joe, still laughing.

"No, uh, I should go back to the girls. They'll be wondering where I am. I made to leave the room, but Nick pulled me back, kissing me fiercely on the lips before letting me go once again. I left the room, head spinning, Nick looking after me longingly.

_**Well, there you go. They're kind of together, but don't worry, the story's not over. There is more to come! After all, I didn't introduce Macy for nothing. Brigid, too (BIG HINT). I'm going to post again ASAP! I hope…**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**I've been really bad, I know, but I have some inspiration now! And, COME ON, people, I want reviews!**_

_**Oh, and just in case it isn't clear through my writing, the seven of them are all really close, despite the rivalry forming between Macy and Kat. They're seriously, like, best friends. So, yeah….**_

I went back to Nick's room before I went to bed, to talk. I knocked lightly on his door, and opened it gently when he called "Come in". I walked across the room and sat on the end of his bed, while he was propped up on a few pillows, a book open on his lap.

I got straight to the point. "Nick, we kissed. Multiple times."

"I know," he said simply.

"So, what are we then?" I asked in return, slightly dissatisfied by his response.

"Kathryn," said Nick seriously.

"No, I want to know,"

"Kathryn, will you go out with me?" asked Nick.

I just smiled, nodding, and leaned in to kiss him quickly, darting back to my bedroom. I slept well that night, dreaming about Nick.

* * *

Despite the fantastic end to my night, I dreaded getting up the next morning. I was convinced that breakfast was going to be so awkward, between the chemistry that Nick and I had, along with the threat of Joe's superior attitude. I hadn't told the girls what had happened in Nick's room, because of Macy, but I had no idea what Joe had said.

Eventually, however, it got too late for me to stay in bed without raising suspicion. I wasn't usually one to sleep late. I shuffled into the kitchen, where, from the noises that reached even my bedroom, someone was up, at least. As I walked through the doorway, I was greeted by the kind of sight that always made my day. Everyone was sitting together, either at the table or the counter. Joe and Kevin were at the stove, Joe making eggs and Kevin pancakes. There was bacon spinning in the microwave. Everyone was chatting, laughing, and teasing each other. When I walked in, everyone looked over at me.

"Wow, Kat," said Danielle, smiling. "Tired, were we?" Her teasing tone told me that Joe had definitely spilled the beans. I looked over at Nick for confirmation, and he gave me a look that was mixed with exasperation for his brother, and mere amusement.

"Yeah, I had a late night," I said, teasing Danielle right back. "What about you?" I was thrilled to see that Danielle looked sheepish. I grinned triumphantly.

I walked past Danielle and sat down on Nick's lap, pecking him quickly on the mouth and stealing a piece of the bacon that was already on his plate. He just smiled at me, but I looked up and saw Macy glaring at us. I felt a little bit bad for upsetting her, especially because it was so obvious that she liked Nick, but I was too happy with the new development to do anything.

We ate in relative peace, but for Joe making snide comments about my and Nick's relationship. After breakfast, we all headed upstairs to change and go out for the day. We were heading to the mall, hoping that because it was a Saturday, it would be easy to get lost in the crowd. We headed out to the driveway, and were faced with the problem of driving. Joe and Stella jumped into Joe's two-seater, and Kevin and Danielle took his car. No one else wanted to suffer through their lovey-dovey fiancée crap, so Macy, Nick, and I were left to take his car. Macy looked cheery about it, and Nick looked rather blasé, but I was, truthfully, a little nervous. Macy's attitude around Nick was disconcerting.

Macy sat in the backseat of the black mustang, but she leant forward the entire ride, her head close to Nick's chatting animatedly with the two of us. Nick seemed unaware of her closeness, or unconcerned; I couldn't tell. No one said anything about it, and she kept it up.

When we arrived, Nick, being a gentleman, opened my door for me, and once I had gotten out, pulled my seat forward to let Macy out. She lost her balance as she stepped out of the car in her tall black heels, and she grabbed Nick's shoulder to keep herself upright, wrapping her arms around his shoulders momentarily. I glared at her over Nick's shoulder, and I could have sworn I saw her glare back at me, as if she were challenging me to say something. But the look was gone so fast, I couldn't be sure. I stayed silent, and we headed into the mall to catch up with the other four.

The first part of the day was a lot of fun. We were right in that Saturday would make it easy for the boys to get lost in the crowd to avoid being recognized. However, around midday, as we were walking towards the food court to get something to eat, I heard my name being called. I turned around to see Brigid, waving at me, but as she saw who I was with, her hand dropped and her eyes widened. She hurried over to us.

"Oh my gosh, hi, Kathryn!" she said enthusiastically, her eyes focused on the boys as opposed to me. I fought back a grimace.

"Hey, Bridge. You remember the guys, and Miss Deleasa from school, right? And this is Stella and Macy, friends of the boys." I said carefully.

"Nice to meet you," said Brigid, waving at the girls and turning her attention right back to the boys, giggling. She seemed too flustered and overwhelmed to say much else.

"Well," said Joe slowly, "it was nice to see you again, but we've really got to go. Lots to do, you know?" He edged carefully backwards.

"Oh, I'll come with you," said Brigid, even more enthusiastically. "Renee said she had to go get something, and never came back. I don't know what happened, but I'm sure she's fine… Anyways, I'm all alone now, so I'm free to hang with you!"

"Oh! Great!" I said, forcing a fake smile onto my face.

"Perfect!" said Brigid. We started walking on, mostly window-shopping. Nick held my hand, our arms touching, and we walked slightly behind the rest of the group. I couldn't help but smile. After only a few minutes though, Brigid turned around, taking a place on Nick's other side.

"So what's up with you two?" she asked, completely unaware of the moment we had been sharing. Nick answered her with polite detachment, hinting very slightly that she wasn't welcome in the conversation. She didn't take the hint, however, and continued to chat with us. I noticed that she focused more on Nick than on me however, which annoyed me. It wasn't that I cared that she didn't want to talk to me; it was that she showed so much interest in Nick. It was rather similar to the way Macy acted around him, which made me incredibly nervous. Two girls after Nick did not turn the odds in my favor.

The day of shopping turned out to be much more painful than I had anticipated I was thankful when the seven of us finally arrived back at the Lucas house, having left Brigid to find her own ride home. Stella was ecstatic, as she had made a lot of purchases. Always the fashionista, she couldn't wait to start planning new outfits, and ran upstairs to do just that. Danielle and Kevin were off in their own world, already cuddling on the couch. Joe was sitting in front of the TV, flipping through the channels. Macy was sitting on the floor in front of him, watching the flashing screen. Nick sat down in the big armchair, pulling me down onto his lap. We didn't talk, he just hugged me.

We sat in silence, but I felt someone's eyes on us. I turned my head slightly and saw Macy glaring at us. I turned back to Nick quickly, uncomfortable. I knew that I'd have to talk to her, or to him, about her issues, and fast.

We sat for only a few minutes more before I said quietly to Nick, "Hey, can we go somewhere more private? I want to talk to you." He looked nervous at my words, which I understood, but he nodded and led me to his room. I ignored Joe's smirk. He had no idea.

As we entered Nick's room, he sat down on his bed, but I remained standing. I put my hands on my hips, facing Nick, and got straight to the point. "I have a problem with Macy," I said.

"What do you mean?" asked Nick carefully, though he looked slightly relieved. I supposed that my words made it seem more like I wanted to end things or similar.

"I mean that Macy likes you, and she's not doing a lot to hide it. It's upsetting, if we're together, for her to act the way she does, and the only way to stop it is for you to not let her hang on you. She'll get the wrong idea if you don't. I can't say anything, because she'll just get mean and defensive. I don't know what to do about it other than to tell you."

Nick stayed silent for a moment before speaking. "Are you sure?" he asked simply.

"Yeah, I'm sure," I said.

"Okay, well, I'll look out for it, and I'll do something next time it happens. Thanks for telling me," he said. I was shocked. Could it really be so simple?

"Really?" I asked, unsure if he were serious. Nick got up from the bed and hugged me, pulling me tight against his chest.

"Really," he said quietly, in my ear, pecking me on the cheek. I hugged him back tightly. "Hey, I know this is absurdly early to be saying, but I think…" he trailed off. I pulled back to look up at him.

"You think what?" I asked.

"I think I… I love you." Nick said this carefully, gauging my reaction. I smiled and kissed him.

"I love you, too," I said cheerfully. He broke into a smile and kissed me back, pulling me tighter against him. We stood there for a few minutes, savoring the new development in our relationship. It occurred to me then that we had only been dating less than a week, and we were already "in love", not to mention that I was only seventeen, but it didn't seem important as I stood in Nick's arms.

Weeks passed, and I found that Macy was much more accepting of Nick and my relationship. She had begun to back off, and had thankfully stopped glaring at me. Our attention was mostly focused on Kevin and Danielle's upcoming wedding, which was approaching much faster than Danielle had anticipated, as she confessed to us girls one night.

"It's not that I'm not excited about it," she reassured us, "it's just that it seems like there's so much more to do, and not enough time to do it!"

Kevin had made his brothers his best men, and Danielle had asked Stella and I to be her maids of honor. Macy, in fact, did not want to be a part of the wedding. She didn't explain why, but Danielle and Kevin, along with the rest, accepted her confession wordlessly and without offense, so I supposed there was some sort of back-story that I didn't know.

Soon enough the day was upon us. We were all up early that morning, Stella and I heading over to what was technically Danielle's home, though she spent most of her time at the Lucas house, to help her get ready. We found her waiting for us when we arrived, nervous and jittery. She was fairly easy to calm down, though, and we got to collecting all of her stuff, her dress, veil, shoes, and accessories, all boxed, and loading them into her car to head out to Long Island, where the wedding would be held. Stella and I had our stuff already loaded into the trunk, and the boys had gone already on their own to get themselves ready and make sure everything was in order.

We gave Danielle the passenger seat for the ride, and Stella drove, while I took the backseat with some of Dani's stuff. It took us roughly an hour to get to the castle, and Stella went inside to find which room we were supposed to get ready in while Dani and I loaded our arms with bags and boxes and headed inside.

The room we were put in was large yet modest, but it served our purposes well. Stella and I set Dani's hair in rollers, and then we quickly got ready ourselves, already having blown out our hair and applied makeup. It seemed weird to some of the guests as well as the tabloids that had gotten wind of the wedding that we wanted to get ready without the help of professional stylists, but we felt as though doing it ourselves suited us better. Besides, who needed professionals when we had Stella?

It took nearly three hours to get Danielle ready, but we had fun doing it. Stella and I did our best to lighten the mood and make sure Danielle wasn't too nervous, though there was nothing we could have done to make her feel completely at ease. This was, in fact, the biggest day of her life.

It was two in the afternoon when Stella and I lead Danielle downstairs from our dressing room to the foyer outside the chapel. She looked beautiful in her custom-designed Vera Wang dress, beautiful crystal flower, and the glass slippers that Kevin had given her as an early wedding present. He insisted that he had met his princess, and she deserved to be treated like one. Stella and I nearly swooned when we heard that. It was so romantic!

Joe and Nick arrived only minutes after we did. "Kevin's going through the other entrance to the front, so he doesn't see Dani before she walks in," Joe had said. We nodded and then waited in silence for our cues.

Danielle hadn't said much since we got downstairs, and as the music started, she squeezed both of our hands before allowing us to take the arms of Joe and Nick, our "escorts" and enter the chapel before her. Joe and Stella walked in together first, and Nick and I followed behind. We took our places at the opposite end of the aisle, Joe and Nick behind Kevin and Stella and I on the opposite side of the altar, and waited while the music changed and the doors opened to reveal Danielle.

She looked like an angel as she walked slowly and gracefully down the aisle, holding a bouquet of white roses, dotted with sprigs of baby's breath. Her fluffy veil trailed behind her and her dress swayed beautifully. I heard Stella sigh in awe and envy, and Kevin couldn't stop smiling. Nick's eyes met mine and we smiled at each other.

The ceremony was beautiful, and it went without a hitch. As Dani and Kevin walked back out of the church together, they were both grinning wildly. I grabbed Nick's arm as we left as well, grinning up at him.

_**Sorry this was so, so late!**_

_**All of the stuff about the wedding, except for the bouquet, was from articles I found on the web. I made the bouquet up because it sounded pretty and there was no info to say otherwise. I should be updating more frequently now, because I'm home and going back to school, but I can't promise anything during midterm week…**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Well, it's only been a two days, so hopefully this will be a new trend! In case you guys don't remember, Angela and Matt are Danielle's parents and Denise and Kevin Senior are the Lucases (Jonases). I actually read the actual name of Danielle's father, but I'm keeping my names for the sake of continuity. Oh, and the baby's breath in Dani's bouquet is purple…it comes into play later in the chapter so I don't want to confuse anyone. **_

The wedding reception was in the same place as the chapel, Oheka Castle, so all of the guests merely followed the wedding party down a long, mirrored hallway to the large ballroom. Nick and I, along with Joe, Stella, Denise, Kevin Senior, Angela, and Matt, were seated at the long head table at the front of the ballroom, while the guests sat at smaller, round tables set up around the dance floor. Kevin and Danielle, of course, sat at the center of the long table.

Cocktail hour was pretty boring. I chatted with the Lucases and Stella for most of the time. Eventually, though, all of the guests settled into the ballroom, and the dancing began. Dinner was served, and then Danielle danced with her father, followed by Kevin joining in with Denise, and all of the other parent-child pairs. Nick danced with Stella; "You're practically my sister, so this is close enough," he had said. I danced with Joe for a few minutes, and then I felt someone tap my shoulder. I half-expected it to be Nick behind me, but I saw Kevin (Senior)'s face. "Kathryn, a dance?" he asked simply. I took his hand and he held our arms out, placing his hand lightly on my waist. It was very formal, yet affectionate.

"Hey, Mr. Lucas," I asked hesitantly, "why are you dancing with me? Shouldn't you be taking your turn with Dani?"

"Well," he said, "I've already danced with Danielle, and I consider you like a daughter to me now, so I think it's appropriate that I get a dance." He smiled at me kindly. I felt my face spreading into a wide grin. We didn't say much else, just commented on how beautiful the ceremony was. Soon the song ended, bridging into another slow song.

"Excuse me," said Kevin Sr., "but I believe a dance with my wife is in order, and I can tell someone else wants to dance with you." Just as he said it, Nick appeared behind his father. I smiled at Nick, letting go of his father to wrap my arms around his neck.

"Hey," I said.

"Hey," he returned. I rested my head on his chest, so much shorter than him, and his arms wound tightly around my waist. We swayed to the music. It was simple, but Nick wasn't exactly known for his dancing talent. I can't even describe how utterly right it felt to be in Nick's arms, even when we weren't doing anything but dancing.

All too soon, we were called back to the table for the toasts. Both sets of parents gave wonderful, encouraging toasts to their children, bringing Danielle to tears. Joe's toast, surprisingly, was just as heartfelt. Then, it was Nick's turn.

"Well, everyone, I'm sure you all know how Kevin and Danielle met. And I remember, after he had gotten back to our hotel room from his day with her, he was speechless at first. And I remember what he told us about the day. He described all of the stuff they had done, of course, but we knew, that first day, that Kevin and Danielle were meant for each other. Kevin told me that night, "I've never met anyone like her. She's amazing, and perfect. He had this absolutely hysterical look on his face." Nick broke off here to chuckle slightly. "He just looked so bewildered, like he couldn't believe his luck. And he was lucky, because Danielle completes him, and he completes her. And I know that they are going to have a happy, successful, beautiful life together." As the audience clapped, I could see Danielle near bawling. Stella, too, was crying. I even felt tears come to my eyes.

Dancing resumed, this time with faster songs, and Nick and I were practically inseparable. Usually, at a party like this, I would be back and forth between the bathroom and the dance floor, constantly checking my dress, but with Nick, I was completely at ease. Looking back, I probably should have paid more attention to my dress. It was silk and therefore easy to stain or mess up, a light purple, like the flowers in Dani's bouquet. It was beautifully simplistic, strapless and gathered at the top, flowing down to the floor. The boys had matching ties, etc. My hair was loose and wavy, having been put in huge curlers by Stella. Generally, I would have been paranoid that the curls were falling out, but I couldn't have cared less with Nick.

It was incredibly late when we all got home. My parents were away yet again, so I went back to the Lucas house. I had moved most of my stuff to my room there, anyway. Kevin and Dani were gone already, catching a red-eye to Mexico for their honeymoon.

Christmas came and went, followed by New Year's. I spent both holidays with the Lucases, Stella, and Macy, enjoying every minute of my break from school. I often felt very young, being the only one still in school, even though Nick was only a few months older than me. He had, of course, graduated over a year ago through his homeschooling program.

Kevin and Danielle moved into their own house. It was a few towns over, close enough that they could hang out, but far enough so that they would have privacy. Joe laughed whenever someone phrased it that way, insinuating some of the perks of married life. Danielle had come to Stella and me straight after the honeymoon to gush about how wonderful it had been. _**(HINT HINT)**_

My birthday was fast approaching. I would be eighteen, officially an adult, and I was thrilled. I had only told Stella, though, after much pleading and begging on her part. I hated it when people made big fusses over me.

January 9th, the big day, came quickly. I woke up in the Lucas house that morning, a Saturday. After making myself look presentable, I headed downstairs, getting no special greetings from anyone, much to my pleasure. The rest of the day followed the same way. Like I said, I didn't like big fusses.

Around six that evening, however, Joe, Stella, Macy, Nick, and I were sitting together, chatting, when Stella addressed me directly. "Hey, Kat," she said, "can you come upstairs for a few minutes, I want to show you a new dress I got. I'm not sure about the color."

"Yeah, sure," I said, getting up off of Nick's lap to follow Stella upstairs. Once in her room, she pulled out a silky dress that was strapless and short, with a bubble skirt. It was a very light grey at the top, and faded diagonally, like watercolors, to black at the bottom hem. Stella held it up to her body. "What do you think?" she asked hesitantly. I cocked my head to the side a bit, looking it over.

"It's definitely gorgeous, Stella," I said.

"But is the grey right for me? I'm not sure, with my hair," she said, still hesitant. Then, her face lit up. "Oh, I know, you try it on!" she exclaimed, shoving the dress at me.

"I don't know, Stella," I said. "I don't really need a dress for anything."

"You never know," said Stella bossily. "It never hurts to have one. Try it on!" I reluctantly pulled off my comfy oversized sweater and jeans to pull on the dress. I was, however, impressed by what I saw. It fit me very well. I didn't know how Stella, at almost four inches taller than me, expected to fit into it, though.

"Oh, it's gorgeous on you!" exclaimed Stella. "You keep it, the color is much better on you!"

"Are you sure, Stella?" I asked. I felt weird taking the dress, after she had bought it for herself. Stella walked over to me and fluffed my hair, taking it out of its ponytail and letting the soft curls fall over my shoulders.

"Of course, Kat, don't be silly. Come on, show everyone downstairs, and put these heels on with it!" She threw a pair of black stilettos with bows on them at my feet. She grabbed my arm and pulled me down the staircase, grinning. Why was she so happy? I knew she liked fashion, but it was just a dress. I followed her slowly.

"SURPRISE!" I heard a loud cheer as soon as I got into the living room. My eyes flew open even wider and I stopped in my tracks. WHAT? Stella laughed.

"Happy Birthday, Kathryn," she said, pulling me over to everyone. Nick, of course, was at the front. He pulled me in for a kiss.

"Happy Birthday, baby," he said sweetly. I smiled at him, but smacked his chest.

"You didn't tell me!" I said, faking annoyance. He just smirked. Though I was peeved that they did this, I couldn't be mad at Nick. I was passed from his arms to Joe, Kevin, Dani, Macy, Denise, Kevin Sr., Angela, and Matt. Stella had also invited some of the kids from school; Brigid, Joy, Raquel, along with some of my other friends wished me a happy birthday. I found myself grinning despite myself. There was music and dancing, along with some really good food, courtesy of Denise and Angela. I gave them each and extra hug and a "thank you" to show my gratitude.

I was with Nick for a lot of the night. We were sitting on the side of the dance floor, having just spent half an hour dancing, and he offered to go get us fresh drinks from the kitchen. I was approached by Brigid as soon as he had left.

"So you're actually dating Nick Jonas?" she asked skeptically.

"Yeah," I said simply. Her tone was aggressive and really annoying me.

"Right, and you're completely happy together?" she asked.

"Yeah," I said again.

"Oh, come on, Kathryn. He's a pop star! I can hardly believe he doesn't have millions of girls falling at his feet."

"He does, but that doesn't mean he says yes to any of them," I retorted.

"Sure, tell yourself that. Besides, it's not like you anything all that special." She said this so casually, it killed me. It probably would have been better if she had just yelled it. She acted like she wasn't even insulting me.

"Excuse me!" I exclaimed.

"Well, it's true, especially compared to Nick Jonas!" I didn't say anything else, I just got up and walked away. I would help Nick with the drinks.

**In the Kitchen**

Nick grabbed two sodas out of the refrigerator, but when he turned around, someone was standing right in front of him.

"Hey, Nick," said Macy.

"Uh, hi Mace," he returned, attempting to move around her and get some more space. She blocked him.

"So Nick, I'm just going to say this straight out… I like you, a lot." Nick was stunned. Kat had mentioned this, of course, but he never thought Macy would actually say something so forward. Before he could reply, however, Macy pressed her mouth to his, wrapping her arms around his neck. He dropped the soda cans and put his hands on Macy's waist, pushing against her, trying to push her away.

**KATHRYN'S POV**

I walked into the kitchen, furious at Brigid, and saw Macy, pressed against Nick. "Oh my God!" I said loudly. Macy broke away from Nick. He looked partly stunned and also disgusted. Macy just looked defiant. "What the hell was that?" I asked, nearly yelling, moving closer to them.

"That was me, kissing your boyfriend," said Macy simply. And then I slapped her.


End file.
